DRAGON WINGS
by Minishot274
Summary: A post inheritance story folloeing the life of young tornac
1. The hunt

**THE HUNT**

Tornac knelt down and carefully studied the ground of the clearing; he scoured the forest floor in search for a large print. After examining the bed of fallen leaves for around five minutes he noticed a large section of leaves that had been compressed slightly this was where his target had been only ten minutes ago. His target was a brown furred grizzly bear with an injured leg, Tornac knew of the injured leg because he had been the one to inflict the wound on the giant creature when the bear had attempted to raid his father's storehouse. The bear had taken off after eating three of his uncles' plumpest chickens but not before Tornac was able to wound the monstrous beast. So now Tornac was hunting the savage animal for its meat and fur in the hope that it would make up for the loss of the chickens and also to use the fur to make new clothes for the fast approaching winter.

The sky was dark apart from the silver moon in the air witch lit up the land just enough that Tornac was able to examine the ground. The forest around him was dense and luscious and the mountain range was looming on the horizon. A light breeze was gently blowing the leaves on the trees. Tornac heard the faint trickle of a nearby stream and the gentle calling of the owls in the canopy above him. _Lets camp here for the night _Tornac thought to himself _the bear can't get far on his injured leg._

Tornac was 16 considered a man by age. Dark sharp eyebrows rested above his tired eyes. His clothes were light a shirt, some pants, a belt and boots and the pack he had brought rested upon his back a sleek sharp hunting dagger was sheathed on his belt and his yew bow was upon his back along with his bearskin quiver of twenty five grey goose arrows.

The bear had escaped into the Spine an expansive land littered with trees and mountains. Hunters rarely came into the forest because of the superstitions that surrounded the place. This was the first time Tornac had entered the vast forest since he was a child and no one else from his hometown called Carvahall had hunted there for over a year.

Tornac had been hunting the bear for two days and he couldn't hunt for much longer because he may get lost or run out of supplies if he didn't catch the beast soon he would be forced to return home empty handed and that would put his family in a terrible position for the winter as his family could not afford to buy the goods in Carvahall.

Tornac set up a fire and unrolled his bedroll, he then sat on a log close to the fire and silently gazed into the flames after a while he got out some bread and cheese and ate his supper in wasn't much but it was enough to sustain him for the night. _Some day _he thought _I will dine like a king. _After eating his meal he clambered into his bedroll and gawked at the stars until eventually he drifted off into a deep slumber.

Crack, Tornac woke quickly and darted to his feet he then drew his dagger and quickly surveyed the area, nothing he crouched down and paced gingerly while keeping his eyes open for any intruders after checking and re-checking the area surrounding his camp he decided that whatever made the sound was long gone satisfied that the area was safe he packed his bag and set about tracking the bear again.

After a while Tornac started to smell a repulsive odour that filled the air he followed the revolting smell until eventually he came across a deceased stag, Tornac examined the creature and soon came across a large bite wound on its neck, The wound had fresh blood oozing from it. This meant that the kill was recent. _This looks like the work of a bear _despite the foul nature of the kill Tornac smiled to himself _this kill is but twenty minutes old. The bear is close. _Tornac skinned the deer and packed up the skin and meat, he also took the horns as they would be useful to sell. After this he proceeded on with the hunt.

He climbed a large hill and at the end on the edge of a cliff he saw what appeared to be big brown mound_. Bingo _he thought, he strung his bow and knocked back an arrow and crept up as close as he dared to the bear. Snap, he had trodden on a twig. Alarmed the bear lifted his head and turned. "Damn" Tornac cursed, annoyed by his own stupidity he released the string on his bow, the arrow whistled through the air and caught the bear between the eyes. Unfortunately as Tornac shot his arrow the bear stood up on its hind legs in attempt to scare his attacker away this meant that when the arrow sunk into the bear's skull the beast toppled backwards and fell off the cliff.

Tornac approached the cliff and soon noticed that the bear had landed on a ledge around six meters down the cliff. Relieved tornac climbed down to get his meat. When Tornac got there he skinned the bear just like he had the deer and packed the skin and meat then when Tornac rose he realised that behind him was a small slit like an entrance to a cave, inquisitive, Tornac slipped through and started to investigate the cave.

Soon the cave became so dark that Tornac had to light one of the torches he had packed then he continued searching, after a while Tornac decided that he had wasted enough time and started heading back towards the entrance as he approached the entrance he noticed something glistening in the corner of his eye soon he came upon the object, for he was not sure what it was. His gaze fell upon a small stone like object the stone was a shiny black and looked valuable._ This might fetch for a few pounds of meat _ he thought. So he packed the stone in his bag and left the cave from there he started his departure back to Carvahall.


	2. Return

**RETURN**

Tornac found his way home with considerable ease and within two days Carvahall was on the horizon. Tornac had lived in Carvahall all his life and found it quite hard to imagine himself anywhere else. Carvahall was a small town in Panclear valley on the edge of the Spine that had originally been built as one house for a lumberjack but soon expanded due to the high demand of wood and after growing to a small hamlet hunters started getting attracted but couldn't catch anything worthwhile and so they started a little game the person who hunts and successfully kills a deer in the Spine gets three gold coins, this attracted loads of hunters who wanted to prove their skill but these hunters needed somewhere to sleep and eat and so Carvahall expanded further again.

Carvahall consisted of 2 taverns; the drunken hunter and morn's tavern, Horsts' smithy, the lumber jack, the tired stag inn and a Tanner as well as a few houses. Surrounding the town were several farms one of which Tornac lived in with his cousin Ismira his uncle Roran who was the earl of Panclear valley, and his auntie Katrina. His father had brought Tornac to Carvahall when he was a baby and had never turned back his mother was also a mystery as his father hadn't mentioned whom she was. That's all Tornac knew was his father's name Murtagh.

Tornac took all of his wares straight to his uncle whom although he was earl gave all his money out to less fortunate people. "I only want to be able to live a normal life" is what he said when questioned.

"Put it all in the storage house" instructed his uncle.

"Yes uncle" tornac said politely. He took the items and stashed them all away except for the stone which he kept with him to sell to the traders in a few months

Uncle Roran was kind to Tornac but he was sometimes very strict. Tornac went into town to see his best friend Hope. Hope was the daughter of Horst the smith and Elain his wife, she was two years older than Tornac, with blonde hair and blue eyes and despite being older than tornac she was shorter than him.

Hope was sitting on the edge of a fountain staring at her reflection so tornac crept up behind her and shouted as loud as he could "BOO!" Hope jumped almost out of her skin and screamed "AAAAAHHHH," but when she realised it was Tornac she turned around and slapped him in the jaw "Tornac Murtaghson how dear you scare me half out of my wits" she joked. And then they both burst out laughing

"How was the hunt" she asked after a while of silence. "It was ok, long and hard but worth it" he replied. They continued talking about various other things until eventually she said "I have to go or my dad will be worried." "ok" said tornac "see you tomorrow?" "yes see you tomorrow" she replied


End file.
